RALEIGH—In honor of Sunshine Week, Chairman Linda Daves has sent Governor Easley and North Carolina Democrat Party Chairman Jerry Meek a bottle of sunblock and a bottle of aloe.  If sunshine is truly coming to North Carolina this week, Democrat leaders should prepare in case of burn.

Chairman Daves made the following statement:

“As many of you know, it is Sunshine Week in North Carolina.  Some have noted the irony of Governor Easley proclaiming Thursday to be Sunshine Day considering the controversies that have surrounded the Governor and his office over the past couple weeks.  I know that the Democrats here in Raleigh will have a hard time coping with sunlight when they have for so long concealed their deeds in darkness.  That is why I have sent Governor Easley and Chairman Meek each gifts this week and will be happy to provide sunblock and aloe to any Democrat leader in Raleigh the same in case of burn. 

In seriousness, however, the controversy currently swirling around the Governor’s office began because of his part in the failure of the 2001 mental health reform plan.  It is time for Governor Easley to take responsibility for the failures in mental health throughout his tenure as Governor.  No one likes to admit failure, but true leaders will own up to their mistakes.  On issue after issue throughout his tenure as Governor, Easley has deployed a duck and cover strategy in place of offering solutions to the problems facing North Carolina.  The people of North Carolina deserve better leadership from Governor Easley and the other Democrats in Raleigh.

Now the Governor has offered a new mental health reform plan.  After seven years of squandered opportunity and failed policies, why should we trust the Governor to fix the problems with mental health that he did not address the first time around?  However, this is not the only example of the Democrat leadership’s letdowns when it comes to providing leadership on key issues facing our state. 

With these continued failures of leadership from the Governor and his Democrat colleagues, one question remains: Why do we keep sending Democrats back to Raleigh to control state government?  Governor Easley entered the Democrat circles of power in state government in 1992 when he was first elected as Attorney General.  Now the two Democrats seeking to succeed Governor Easley are also old hands at Democrat politics in the state.  Richard Moore has served in state government since 1992 when he was first elected to the North Carolina House 16 years ago.  Beverly Perdue has been at the forefront of Democrat politics in North Carolina for the last 22 years since she was first elected to the North Carolina House in 1986.  The two Democrat candidates have had their chance to make their mark on state government and can offer nothing more than the continued failures of leadership we have seen under the Easley administration.

Unfortunately, this week the General Assembly will conduct a special session to address the possibility of expelling one of its own members for the first time since 1880.  Democrat Representative Thomas Wright’s ethical and legal troubles are not a cause for joy or celebration for anyone involved in politics in North Carolina.  Thursday marks another sad day in a web of corruption that has been exposed gradually over the past few years among Democrat politicians.  It has been 128 years since the last legislator was expelled from the General Assembly and since that time Democrats for the most part have maintained power in the state legislature.  Long-term, near absolute power in Raleigh from the Democrat leadership has led to abuses that were once thought unfathomable for North Carolina.  Unfortunately, Rep. Wright’s ethical lapses are only one symptom of a much broader sickness of corruption and foul play that has infected the state capital.

Democrats have successfully consolidated power in the executive and legislative branches of state government, but what do they have to show for it? 

• Using a secretive budget process carried out mostly behind closed doors and without Republican input, Democrats have given us more tax and spend policies making us the highest taxed state in the Southeast in regards to business.  Under Democrat leadership, spending has exploded with the state budget consistently being increased to the point it is busting at the seams.  Just last year, Democrats increased spending by 9.5 percent over the previous year’s budget.  The continued tax and spend, liberal policies of Democrats in state government have resulted in stagnation to our economy and caused suffering for hard-working taxpayers in our state. 
• Democrats are failing our transportation and infrastructure needs to by raiding the Highway Trust Fund to pay for their insatiable spending desires, by lining the Department of Transportation and Board of Transportation with their cronies and fundraisers, and by funneling new roads projects to the districts of powerful Democrat legislators instead of the areas in the state suffering from the most pressing needs and worst traffic congestion. 
• Democrats have failed us in education policy to the point that one of every three students in North Carolina will not finish high school.  Every year, Democrats promise a new plan and a larger budget to solve the problem facing our students and teachers.  Every year, we get more of the same disappointing outcomes and the same solutions of throwing more money at the problem. 

Democrats have used their power in state government to strong arm Republicans, block legislation that would threaten the status quo, and engage in secret meetings and backroom deals that are not open to public scrutiny or the legislative process.  The definition of insanity is to continue doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome.  We cannot continue to send Democrats back to Raleigh expecting a different outcome.  The only way to dramatically improve upon the failed policies of the corrupt Democrat leadership is to bring wholesale change to the culture of state government.

In this election year, Republicans welcome change in the culture of state government.  Honesty and transparency should never be in question when it comes to elected officials doing the people’s business.  Republicans offer a vision of smart, efficient, and effective government coming out of Raleigh and across the state.  Sunlight will uncover the dark places in state government not just today, not just this week, but throughout this election year and especially in November.  The Democrat leadership should take notice or prepare to be burned.”

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